Ruler



Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES RALPH M. ANDERSON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

RULER.

Application led July 6,

AnV object of this invention is to provide a ruler that is especially adapted to the use of pipe litters and plumbers to enable them to instantly and accurately know the longitudinal dimension of the hypotenuse and perpendicular side of thirty and forty-live degree triangles with known bases."

That is the ruler has a scale arranged on one side thereof that indicates the exact length of the hypotenuse and also the perpendicular side of a forty five degree angle with a base length of one inch and multiple thereof; and the other side is provided with a scale that indicates the exact length of the hypotenuse and perpendicular side of a thirty degree angle with a base length of one inch and mult-iples thereof so that an unskilled artisan when knowing the base of either of the triangles can instantly know the measurements of the other sides.

Heretofore it has been necessary for pipe iitters and plumbers when ruiming pipe lines of either 30 or Zl5 degree angles to determine the length of pipe by the slow tedious method of mathematical calculations which ofttimes have not been accurately calculated with the results that both time and labor have been lost; and also that the pipes were out too longl or short to be fitted into the desired place. An object of this invention is to save time and labor.

An object of the invention is to provide a ruler that will enable unskilled laborers who have not the ability to make mathematical calculations to use it for the purpose hereinbefore specified. To that end I preferably take an ordinary folding ruler for linear measurement and let the usual numerals thereon give the length of the base lines of the triangle, and provide cross lines between the units of measurement to represent the altitudes of the triangles with numerals near them which give their` heights. Somewhere on the ruler1 preferably at the zero end, l give the pitch angle of the triangles for which the ruler is adapted, and near and. preceding each altitude line I give the hypotenuse of the triangle having the indicated base and altitude, so that the 1925. Serial No. 41,832.

measurements of all three sides of each triangle are located near each other.

While the scales herein employed are especially adapted to a siX foot folding ruler for use of pipe litters and plumbers it is understood that they can be of any length; and be arranged on tape lines, squares or surveyor chains as well; and if desired the length of folding rules can be six inches instead of twelve.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claim.

The aecon'ipanying drawing illustrates the invention.

Fig. l is a side view of a ruler constructed in accordance with this invention showing the side on which the data relating to 30 degree triangles is fixed; and which is used on pipe connections commonly called degree littings.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental portion of the rule showing it about actual size and also showing the data relating to 45 degree triangles.

Fig. 23 is a diagrammatic view of a 30 degree triangle having a base length of one inch and multiple thereof showing the length and height of the other sides.

Fig. 4 is a fraginental view of a pipe line with one length thereof fitted across the hypotenuse side of a 30 degree triangle to additional.ljT illustrate how the ruler is employed to determine the length of the hypotenuse side of the angle. 35

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View of a degree triangle showing a pipe line therein and illustrating how the ruler is used to determine the length of pipe that will lit across the hypotenuse side of the triangle.

The folding ruler 6 has the sides 7 thereof provided with cross or altitude lines 8 that separate the ruler into inch lengths, section# or spaces, that are numbered from l to 72 inclusive as in ordinary linear measurement; with the usual shorter lines 9 that divide the inch spaces into fractions of an inch as is common in an ordinary ruler; and prefright angle triangles having a one inch base Y length and multiple thereof. This word Height is used to designatethe perpendicular sides of right angle triangles as it is thus used Vin the plumbing and pipe-fitting art. Y

The word Length7 is arranged below the word Height77 and it indicates the eX- act lengths of hypotenuses having base lines of oneinch and multiples thereof and the datarelative to these lengths are arranged to .the right of the word Length and to the left of their respective cross lines. And

below the word Length is arranged the degree of the right angle triangle preferably 30 degrees on one side and 45 degrees von the other as these are the angles that are most used in laying angular pipe lines and arranging i5 and 60 degree pipe-fittings.

Near each altitude line 8, and preferably at the right hand side thereof the height of such altitude line is given and nearer said line, preferably immediately to the left thereof, the length of the hypotenuse is given, and also near suoli altitude line the length of the base is given. Therefore these three measurements "being the lengths of all the sides of the triangle', are located near the altitude line of thel triangle vand close together so that they can all be seen ata glance. Also the row of numerals indi 'keating the heights of the altitude lines on the ruler are QPPOsite the word Height at the zero end of the ruler, and all the numerals indicating the lengths ofthe hypotenuses ofthe. triangles are in a row opposite the word Length at the zero end of the ruler, as appears fully in Fig. 2. This renders the ruler easily readable. ln otherwords theordinary folding ruler with the ordinary numerals indicating the linear measurement is divided the altitude lines 8, as it were, into sections, and all of thel ruier to the left of each altitude line maybe considered a rectangle, the base line measuring the base of vthe triangle correctly and the altitude line 8 representing the altitude of a right angle triangle constituting` one-half of such rectangle. rlhe altitudeline does not extend thefull length indicatedv by the numeral,

but can be imagined as extended, and the hypotenuse line can also be imagined as ruiming from the' lower left hand corner si-res to obtain them.

of the zero end of the ruler to the upper right hand corner, orto the upper end of the altitude line; sothat in a sense the ruler fully visualizes the base of the triangle and partially visualizes the altitude line and enables the mind to imagine the location of the hypotenuse line, and the numerals giving the lengths of all three of said lines are located together adjacent the altitude line. This makes suoli ruler very readable and leaves nothing to calculate.

InFigs 3,4 and 5 the use of the ruler is illustrated.

In F ig. 3' a 30 degree right angle triangle isshown having a base length ct-Z) of one inch in length. Assuming that the dimensions of the other sides of the triangle are Y unknown and that an unskilledl artisan de- Bv referring tov his ruler and noting the height and length dimensions of 3.0 degree right angle triangles he readily sees that thev dimensions of the other sides i4-c and liin- .0 of the triangle are respectively 11/8 inches and fg o'fvan inch. Y v

lf the base line civ-Z) was extended to d so that it would be two inches in length, the sides ae and tZ-c would respective ly be indicated by the ruler as 2-15b. inches and 11/8 inches.

In Fig. 4 the use of the ruler in obtaining -the length of the vunknown sides of V30 degree right angle triangles is additionaliy illustrated. s seen therein a Q-degree elbow l0 is arranged at the Vpoint a and another l60 degree elbow ll'at the pointe, a known distance of 2 feet 105/9 inches above the point Z) that is also a known distance` of 5 feety from the point Hand the unskilled artisan isY required to cutfa pipe 12'to fit vbetween the elbows, the length of which is unknown. By referring to his rulerV he readily sees that va pipe 5 feet 999-. inches is required.

" In Fig. 5 the use of the ruler in fitting pipe on 'degree angles is illustrated. As seen therein the pipe line 13 has a if-pipe la thatis arranged to be .connected by an inclined pipe 15 to an elbow 16. l

'The elbow 16 is arranged thedistance of' 2 feet above the point t); and is the distance of 2 feet from the point a.

`With the length of the sides ct-b and b-c of the right 'angle triangleY a-%c known, the artisan is required Vto cut a pipe that will extend theV unknown distance from ciV to c. By referringto the side of the ruler giving i5 degree triangular' measurements he readiiy finds at the 2 foot marking that the hypotenuse ofthev triangle is 2 feet 9@ inches, the length of pipe that is required.

The invention claimed is:

'A' Yruler'V for indicating hypotenuses of right angle triangles, consistingof an elongated Vlinear ruler dividedV by transverse lines into rectangular sections having successively increasing length from a eomrnon zero point, said lengths corresponding to those of the base lilies of the triangles, and the transverse lines across the ruler at the end oit' each section being provided with a numeral near it giving the altitude of the corresponding triangle, with another nuineral giving the hase of the triangle, and with a numeral giving the length of the hypotenuse of the triangle, said ruler having a numeral thereon giving the pitch angle of said triangles.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto af fixed my signature.

RALPH M. ANDERSON. 

